The farmers will start campaigning again on Wednesday 18 December. The Farmers Defense Force action group has confirmed this new campaign: the farmers do not yet want to say what exactly they are going to do. Blocking distribution centers is not excluded.
According to a spokesperson for the Farmers Defense Force, the action day will start at 6 a.m. “We are keeping it a bit vague regarding what exactly we are going to do. The action will in any case take place at locations throughout the Netherlands. I’m not going to say anything about the precise goals,” said a spokesperson.
The action group does not exclude the possibility of distribution centers being blockaded, which means that supermarkets, for example, will not be be supplied with new stock in the run-up to christmas. “The new promotions are not entirely public-friendly, but we do want to keep people friendly. And that will not work if they are hungry for Christmas.”
An additional reason for the actions is that the government wants to postpone the decision on nitrogen reduction plans. These plans include agreements on reducing CO2 emissions, but also unfreezing the ban of permits for expanding farms. Other plans include schemes for buying out farmers and letting the land lie fallow.
“We are being kept somewhat on the hook by Minister for Agriculture Carola Schouten,” says the spokesperson. “She says she’s talking to us, but we haven’t heard from her for a week. Nothing has come from it. I think the minister herself also realizes that actions will follow.”
